Oracle Applications Components

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Objectives

At the end of this module, you should be able to do the

following:
Identify the high-level technology stack components that
make up the desktop, application and database tiers
Describe how Oracle Applications utilizes the various
technology stack components
Identify and describe the role of the various Applications
Technology layer products

1-2

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Module Overview

This module covers the following topics:

How Oracle Applications uses the Applications technology
stack components
Components of the desktop tier
Components of the application tier
Components of the database tier
Products of the Application Technology layer
Introduction to Oracle Applications Manager
Summary of technology stack changes

1-3

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Multi-Tier Architecture
Desktop

Application

Database

Web
Services

Browser

Forms
Services
Concurrent
Processing Server

1-4

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Database
Server

Desktop Tier: Traditional Forms Interface

Client
Applet
JAR file
JAR file

JavaEnabled
browser

1-5

JAR file

Web
Services
Forms
Services
Concurrent
Processing Server

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Desktop Tier: Forms Client Applet

The Forms Client Applet is a presentation applet that:

Supports Oracle Applications products that use the Forms
interface
Is packaged as Java Archive (JAR) files
The JAR files contain all classes required for Oracle
Applications
They are downloaded on demand and cached on the desktop

1-6

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Desktop Tier: Java Client

1-7

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Application Tier

Web
Services

Browser

Forms
Services
Concurrent
Processing Server

1-8

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Database
Server

Application Tier: Load Balancing

The Application tier supports load balancing among different

service groups and servers
Benefits include high availability, fault tolerance, reliability and
scalability
The same platform (such as Linux) should be used for all
application tier machines

1-9

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Application Tier: HTML-Based Applications

The HMTL-based (formerly, Self-Service) applications:

Do not use Oracle Forms for the interface
Are designed in pure HTML and JavaScript
Dynamically generate HTML pages by executing Java code
Use a metadata dictionary for flexible layout
Operate by direct connection to the Web server

1 - 10

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Application Tier: Oracle Applications Framework

Oracle Applications Framework is a Java-based application

tier development and deployment platform for HTML-based
applications
Framework-based applications logic is controlled by
procedures that execute through the Java Servlet Engine

1 - 11

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Application Tier: Oracle Applications Framework

Components
Oracle Applications Framework uses various components,
including:
AOL Java (AOL/J)
Business Components for Java (BC4J)
Java Controller
Metadata UI Definition
UIX HTML Generator

1 - 12

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Application Tier: Oracle Applications Framework

Processing
Web Server

1
2
Browser

1 - 13

Web Listener
Servlet Engine

Client

AOL/J

Database
Server

Metadata 4
UI Definition

UIX 7
Java
6
Controller

Metadata
Dictionary

5
BC4J

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Data

Application Tier: Java Servlet Access with HTML

Applications
Client

Web Server

Database
Server

Listener

Browser

Metadata
Dictionary

5
3
Servlet
Engine

JSP

1 - 14

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Data

Application Tier: Forms Services

Web
Services
Forms
Services
Browser
Concurrent
Processing Server

1 - 15

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Database
Server

Application Tier: Forms Services Architecture

Client
runs
presentation

Application
Servers run UI
logic

Presentation

User
Interface
Logic

Database Server
optimizes performance,
workflow

Data
Intensive
Logic

Data Management

Software updates

LAN
WAN
Dial-up
Data Center Operations

1 - 16

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Application Tier: Network Traffic

To minimize network traffic:

JAR files for the Forms client applet are downloaded
automatically the first time it is used, and subsequently
cached on the desktop PC
The browser (with J2SE plug-in) will automatically retrieve
new JAR files if they have changed on the application tier

1 - 17

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Application Tier: Network Traffic

For optimum runtime network usage:

Many operations can performed without contacting the Forms
services at all
When tabbing through fields, only one round trip per field is
needed
Compact messages communicate user events and
corresponding screen updates

1 - 18

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Application Tier: Concurrent Processing Server

Web
Services
Forms
Services
Browser
Concurrent
Processing Server

1 - 19

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Database
Server

Application Tier: Report Review Agent

The Report Review Agent allows:

Online viewing of report log and output files
Viewing of reports one page at a time
Storage of report output on the concurrent processing node

Concurrent Processing Server

1 - 20

Report Review Agent

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Desktop Client

Application Tier: Accessing Concurrent

Processing Output
HTTP

Browser

Forms
Services

Report
Page

Report
File

2
Report Review Agent
Concurrent
Processing
Server

1 - 21

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Database
Server

Application Tier: Administration Server (Obsolete)

Web
Server
Forms
Server
Browser
Concurrent
Processing Server
Administration
Server

1 - 22

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Database
Server

Database Tier

Web
Server
Forms
Server
Browser
Concurrent
Processing Server

1 - 23

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Database
Server

Oracle Homes

Oracle Applications Release 12 utilizes three Oracle homes:

Oracle 10g Release 2 RDBMS ORACLE_HOME:
Used by the Oracle database server

Application Server 10.1.2 ORACLE_HOME:

Known as the Tools, C, or Developer ORACLE_HOME
Replaces the 8.0.6 ORACLE_HOME in Release 11i

Application Server 10.1.3 ORACLE_HOME:

Known as the Web or Java ORACLE_HOME
Replaces the iAS ORACLE_HOME in Release 11i

1 - 24

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Oracle Homes

The three Oracle Homes fit into the architecture as follows:

1 - 25

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Oracle Applications Technology Layer

The Oracle Applications technology layer is an integrated
collection of components that are used by all Oracle
Applications modules:

CRM

Financials

HRMS

Manufacturing

...

Oracle Applications Technology Layer

The various components of the Applications Technology
layer are discussed on the following slides.

1 - 26

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Oracle Applications DBA (AD)

Oracle Applications DBA provides a range of administration

utilities used for installing, upgrading, maintaining, and patching
an Applications system:
AD Administration
AD Merge Patch
AutoConfig
AutoPatch
Rapid Clone
Rapid Install

1 - 27

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Oracle Application Object Library (FND)

Oracle Application Object Library is a collection of reusable

code, programs, and database objects that provides
common functionality across all products:

Receivables

General
Ledger

Fixed
Asset
s

Inventory

Oracle Application Object Library

1 - 28

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Oracle Application Object Library:

End User Features
Oracle Application Object Library includes features that provide
uniformity across Applications products:
Standard user interface
Shared flexfield value sets
Standard Report Submission (SRS)
Applications Online Help
User profiles

1 - 29

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Oracle Application Object Library: Developer

Features
Various Applications features can be utilized when creating
custom forms, reports or programs:
GUI and coding standards
As used by Oracle Development

Standard Report Submission

Custom reports can be submitted using SRS

Flexfield development
Custom forms can utilize standard capabilities

Custom menus and responsibilities

Can be integrated with Oracle Applications

1 - 30

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Oracle Application Object Library: System

Administration Features

1 - 31

Set up new Oracle Applications users

Manage and control security
Audit user activity
Set user and system profiles
Manage concurrent processing

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Oracle Application Object Library:

Security Features
Responsibility Type

Access Granted

Operating
Unit

User
Sign-on

1 - 32

Navigation
Menu

Set of Books

Forms

Programs
Report
Group

Reports

Data
Group

Database Objects

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Oracle Applications Utilities (AU)

AU is used to maintain an Applications system:

AU hosts certain product files in a central location
For example, Forms source files (.fmb)

This allows generating on-site classes of files such as Forms

and reports
Generating forms or reports may require access to shared
PL/SQL libraries
These are also copied to AU_TOP

1 - 33

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Oracle Applications Framework (OAF)

OAF is an active data dictionary that is used to:

Define components for HTML-based applications
Generate runtime characteristics of applications
Develop inquiry applications for the HTML-based applications
without programming
Help to support multiple languages

1 - 34

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Oracle Workflow (WF)

Oracle Workflow provides an infrastructure for communication

of data between products, to:
Manage enterprise business processes
Support standard and personalized business rules
Streamline and automate transaction flows
Manage exceptions without manual intervention
Deliver notification emails to any Oracle Applications or
Internet user

1 - 35

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Oracle Alert (ALR)

Oracle Alert allows you to:

Email notifications to users when an event occurs
Notify users about specified database exceptions
Perform routine tasks automatically according to a schedule
that you define

1 - 36

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Oracle XML Publisher (XDO)

XML Publisher is a Java-based publishing tool that:

Takes as input XML data from a source such as Oracle
Reports, Java, or PL/SQL
Applies a formatting template created with a desktop
application such as Adobe Acrobat or Microsoft Word
Produces output in PDF or other formats
Is integrated with the Applications technology stack

1 - 37

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Oracle Applications Manager (OAM)

OAM is a key system administration tool:

1 - 38

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Release 12 Applications Technology Stack

Key Changes
New versions of database tier technology:
Oracle Database 9i
Oracle Database 10g
New versions of application tier technology:
Application Server: 1.0
10.1
Oracle HTTP Server/Apache: 1.3.19
10.1.3 (in OracleAS
10.1.3 Oracle Home)
Oracle Developer: 6i
10g (in OracleAS 10.1.2 Oracle
Home)
Oracle JDeveloper: 9i
10g
New application tier technology component:
Servlet Container: JServ
OC4J

1 - 39

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Module Summary

In this module, you should have learned how

to do the following:
Explain how Oracle Applications utilizes the technology stack
components
Identify the components that make up the desktop,
application and database tiers
Describe the Applications Technology layer products

1 - 40

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Module Discussion

Describe the basic architecture of Oracle Applications

List the servers used in the application tier and describe the
purpose of each
Briefly explain the concept of load balancing
Discuss the roles of the components of the Oracle
Applications technology layer

1 - 41

Copyright 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.